*** Warning: this post contains quite some curses. Decide if you want to read further or not. ***
A new week, a new palabrota. I bet you’re familiar with today’s word, although you may not be aware of all it’s forms. You probably think its only meaning is ‘whore’ or ‘hooker’. Although it means exactly that, there are some sentences and expressions in which it has a slightly different meaning. Still, it’s a pretty vulgar word, and when I used it in front of a Spanish friend in Spain last year (¡Mira Andrés! ¡PUTAS!) he corrected me and insisted to use the word prostituta (from which the word puta comes).
A common exclamation in Spain is ¡de puta madre!, which hasn’t to do much with hookers and such. It simply means something like ‘that’s great!’, or a better translation would be ‘that’s bad-ass!’.
Still, in some parts of the hispanosphere it’s not done to use the word, not even ¡de puta madre!, so better check if it’s generally accepted before using it.
Sentences
¡La fiesta fue de puta madre, tío!
The party was bad-ass, dude!
¡Hijo de puta!
Son of a bitch!
¡Levántate de una puta vez!
Get the f*ck up!
¡Cállate de una puta vez!
Shut the f*ck up!
¡Este informe está de puta pena!
This paper is f*ck*ng bad!
Las pasé putas durante el examen de conducir.
The driving exam was really bad.
Related Posts:
Spanish Word of the Day: cojonudo
Spanish Word of the Day: zorra
Spanish Word of the Day: coño
Spanish Word of the Day: cagar (2)
Spanish Word of the Day: cabrón





{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve got to say that, although I am not usually one for ‘palabrotas’, I do love the expression of surprise or disbelief – ‘me cago en la puta leche’ because it’s so, well, expressive!!
Lisaxx
Lisa’s last blog post..I wish the English…..
As a cuban humorist used to say : You spaniards are crazy…because if “the puta madre” means this is great, this is good…. “Where’s the good or great thing in callling your madre a whore? She would kill me if I ever thought of calling her that ”
MsNice’s last blog post..a snap worth a cold, or not. | pa’ pillar una pulmonía o algo. [Flickr]
Ramses,
You’re having way too much fun with these daily words! You may need to change the sub title of your blog to “Learn to Speak Spanish de puta madre”.
eleena’s last blog post..My New Year’s Resolution a month early
Yeah, I am concentrating a bit too much on these words. I almost have no time to write ‘normal’ articles!
Well… tell Andres that I don’t know who says prostituta in Spain instead of puta
I think prostitute is used when you are not familiar with the listener, or you want to remain polite, just that… because if you are speaking about prostitutes with someone, then I think you have enough confidence with that person
You have some other words to use: “pilingui”, “mujer de la noche”, “zorra”… indeed, in Spanish, almost all female forms of animals have a bad meaning o:)
@MsNice, when you say “de puta madre”, we never refer to our mothers… You can also find expresions like “jodidamente bueno” (fucking good) and not because “jodidamente” have an usual bad meaning, the expresion itself is bad
As far as I know, puta/putae means in Latin “clean”, etc and seems that just prostitutes used to have baths or clean themselves that long ago
cheers
Well, Andrés is polite most of the time. That explains a lot I think
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